Short Summary

A JAPANESE BUSINESSMAN HAS SPENT HIS LIFE SAVINGS ON A PERSONAL FOUR PAGE ADVERTISEMENT IN "THE TIMES" NEWSPAPER OF LONDON TO EXPRESS HIS PERSONAL VIEW ON VIETNAM AND WORLD PEACE.

Description

A JAPANESE BUSINESSMAN HAS SPENT HIS LIFE SAVINGS ON A PERSONAL FOUR PAGE ADVERTISEMENT IN "THE TIMES" NEWSPAPER OF LONDON TO EXPRESS HIS PERSONAL VIEW ON VIETNAM AND WORLD PEACE.

THE GBP5,400 ADVERTISEMENT APPEARED IN TODAY'S (THURSDAY'S) PAPER AND IS THE LONGEST PERSONAL ADVERTISEMENT IN THE NEWSPAPER'S HISTORY. THE ADVERTISER, MR. MORIHIRO MATSUDA OF TOKYO, RECENTLY INSERTED A SIMILAR TWO-PAGE ADVERTISEMENT IN THE "NEW YORK TIMES."
HE USES THE FOUR PAGES TO SET OUT HIS GENERAL PHILOSOPHY ON LIFE, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO THE SOLUTION OF WORLD PROBLEMS, PEACE AND WAR.

IN HIS ADVERTISEMENT MR MATSUDA PLEADS FOR "ANY AND EVERY POWER NECESSARY TO REALIZE PEACE IN VIETNAM AND UNIVERSAL PEACE. THAT IS ENTRUST ME WITH UNRESTRICTED POWER OF ATTORNEY, ON A BLANK SHEET OF PAPER. THEN I WILL BRING FORTH WORLD PEACE IN ONE DAY. I CANNOT REVEAL THE METHOD HERE FOR THE MOMENT. BUT, AT LATEST, I WILL REALIZE UNIVERSAL PEACE IN THREE DAY" THE ADVERTISEMENT SAYS.

MR. MATSUDA ASKS FOR "UNRESTRICTED POWER OF ATTORNEY" SIGNED BY PRESIDENT JOHNSON; THE AMERICAN SECRETARY OF STATE, DEAN RUSK; THE AMERICAN DEFENCE SECRETARY, ROBERT McNAMARA; AND BY THE PRIME MINISTERS OF BRITAIN AND JAPAN.

"IF I FAIL TO ACCOMPLISH IT (PEACE), "SAYS MR. MATSUDA, "I WILL PUNISH MYSELF WITH SELF-IMMOLATION BY FIRE."